Control of intake by human-milk-fed infants: Relationships between feeding size and interval

Diurnal feeding behavior of 24 exclusively breast-fed infants was examined at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks to assess whether milk intake at a feeding was related to previous (preprandial) or subsequent (postprandial) intervals between feedings. Amount of human milk consumed per feeding and intervals between feedings were measured over a 72-hr period. Correlation analyses revealed that volume of milk ingested at a feeding (meal size) was positively related to preprandial interval at all 5 ages (r = 0.39-0.47, p less than 0.0001). Meal size was likewise related, but not as strongly, to postprandial interval at 4 of the 5 time points examined (r = 0.17-0.25, p less than 0.01). Results of the correlational analyses revealed clear, consistent preprandial correlations, providing evidence for a reactive type feeding pattern among the solely breast-fed infants. Postprandial correlations, possibly reflect an anticipatory feeding pattern, were present but remained consistently low over the 3 months examined, providing little evidence of a developmental shift. This study provides a preliminary foundation for future longitudinal studies that address the regulation of food intake among infants.